A river in Sydney could soon be named Goolay’yari, under a proposal from local governments as part of a new Aboriginal partnership strategy.
The Cooks River flows from a park in Bankstown in Sydney’s south-west through Strathfield South, Tempe and Botany Bay in the city’s south.
The river was named after the British explorer James Cook after he landed at Botany Bay in 1770 and took possession of the area off the east coast of Australia on behalf of the United Kingdom.
An Aboriginal partnership group is consulting with Sydney Water and a number of local governments over a proposal to rename or dual-name the waterway.
“It’s not really a name change, it’s giving it back the name it’s always had,” said Gregory Andrews of Dharawal ABC Radio Sydney.
‘It does not detract from James Cook and all his achievements as a great explorer of his time. If he had ‘discovered’ it today, he would not have named it after himself.
“He’d probably ask what it was called.”
An iconic Sydney river could soon be named Goolay’yari, under a proposal being put forward as part of a new Aboriginal partnership strategy (pictured Sydney’s Cooks River)
Goolay’yari is the local Eora word for the story of Pelican Dreaming.
According to Andrews, there is an island in the river known as Fatima Island, which resembles the shape of a pelican’s foot, giving the waterway its name.
He said the river was once a major escape route for Aboriginal people coming into conflict with British settlers.
According to Mr Andrews, the river is now a safe place where people can escape the hustle and bustle.
Bayside, Inner West, Strathfield and Canterbury-Bankstown councils continue to discuss the name change with the Cooks River Alliance.
It is reported that no final decision has yet been made.
Dharawal man Gregory Andrews says Fatima Island (pictured) in the Cooks River looks like the shape of a pelican’s foot when viewed on Google Earth
This came after Fraser Island off the coast of Queensland was officially renamed K’gari, the name given to it by the original Butchulla people.
The name change was the result of a long-term campaign by indigenous elders.
A renaming ceremony took place in late 2021, attended by Butchulla elders and Queensland Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon.
Uluru became the first monument in the Northern Territory to be dual-named when it was renamed Ayers Rock/Uluru in 1993.
In 2002 the titles were reversed and the park was given its current official name Uluru/Ayers Rock.